Free Spanish Lesson #52. Safety in the streets!

Vocabulario semanal – Weekly Vocabulary

hay una cosa grande – there’s a big thing

las calles – the streets

peatones – pedestrians

si in peatón camina – if a pedestrian walks

si – if

casi parecen ir – they almost seem to go

más rápido – faster

no trates de cruzar – don’t (you informal) try to cross

hasta llegar – until you get

al otro lado – to the other side

boletines – newsletters

la cosa asombrosa – the amazing thing

peligroso/a/os/as – dangerous

mucha más gente – a lot more people

como hacemos – like we do

cuando gente – when people

entonces continúan caminando – then they continue walking

en ambos direcciones – in both directions

cruzan al otro lado – they cross to the other side

en otras palabras – in other words

ahora – now

estoy seguro – I’m sure

que he visitado – that I have visited

una experiencia diferente – a different experience

acerca de – about

cuando mujeres – when women

para que sepas – (just) so you know

y para evitar – and to (in order to) avoid

para tu protección – for your protection

el camino – the path

For your safety, hay una cosa grande you need to be aware of about las calles in Latin America — peatones do not have the right of way.

In the U.S., si in peatón camina across the street at a cross walk (2 solid parallel white lines), all vehicles must slow down to let el peatón cross. Most cross walks are at intersections with stop signs or street lights, but every once in a while there are crosswalks in the middle of city blocks (far from any intersection).

When people start to cross there, vehicles should still slow down to wait for them even without street lights to stop the cars. In Latin America, si peatones are in the streets, not only do cars not slow down, casi parecen ir más rápido.

If there are cross-walk type lines, THEY ARE NOT CROSSWALKS, no trates de cruzar because cars will not slow down for you. You may not live hasta llegar al otro lado, which means you’d never get to read anymore of our incredibly fascinating Spanish culture boletines!

La cosa asombrosa to me is that even though las calles are a lot more peligrosas in Latin America, there seems to be mucha más gente who walk in the streets! Instead of just walking straight across the street como hacemos in the U.S., cuando gente cross the street in Latin America, they usually walk diagonally until they are in the middle of the street. Entonces continúan caminando for a while as cars come whizzing by en ambos direcciones; finally when there’s a break in the traffic, cruzan al otro lado.

En otras palabras, you seem to be a lot safer in Latin America if you don’t use cross walks. Ahora, estoy seguro this may vary in some major cities in Latin America, but all of them que he visitado are just as I described. I am interested to know if any of you readers have had una experiencia diferente in a particular city.

Now for one more interesting note, acerca de street etiquette, worth mentioning — cuando mujeres in Latin America cross the streets, many of them hold hands. Para que sepas, this does not have the same connotation as two women holding hands in the U.S. Most do it for safety – y para evitar falling down, etc.

In summary, para tu protección in Latin America, don’t use cross walks (or cross walk-type lines) and be sure to stay out of el camino of oncoming cars; they won’t slow down for you.

¡Hasta luego! (“Until later”)

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Written by David S. Clark President/Director, U.S. Institute of Languages. Copyright © 1999-2010 US Institute of Languages All rights reserved.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.